US Navy Issue Type M 422A leather flying jacket

Standard issue United States Navy Bureau of Aeronautics M-422A pebble grained goatskin leather flying jacket with wool knit cuffs and waistband, burgundy coloured rayon lining, "Talon" zipper and sheepskin collar, which has faded from the original burgundy to a dark tan colouring. Included in the left front pocket is a pen or pencil slot, which is the only feature distinguishing the jacket from the M422 model. Internally, the rayon lining has split and torn, revealing four horizontal black elastic strips which assist in retaining the jacket's fit. Painted on the back of the jacket in red and yellow is the legend "Stinger", over a cartoon style depiction of a green camouflaged B-17 bomber with all turret guns firing and dropping a bomb load. Painted under this are two lines of 24 bombs, each with a white swastika, representing bombing missions; plus seven black and white German crosses, probably representing German fighters shot down, and one red bomb with a white swastika within, accompanied by the words "25 missions 1944" in red. On the right front breast of the jacket is sewn a 130mm diameter leather patch upon which is painted a winged baby elephant carrying a bomb in its trunk. This design possibly originated with the Disney Studios.

This M422A leather flying jacket displays on the right breast the painted leather logo of the 728th Bombardment Squadron, 452nd Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force. The 452nd Bombardment Group was formed in 1943 and was one of the twenty four Heavy Bomber Groups operating the Boeing B-17G 'Flying Fortress', stationed in England and flying almost constant raids against German industrial, civilian and military targets between 1943 and 1945. The logo, featuring Disney Studio's Dumbo the Elephant with his trunk wrapped around a bomb, was most likely designed by Disney's five man insignia team who, co-operating directly with the US military, completed over 1,200 designs by war's end. The word 'Stinger' painted on the back of the jacket may be another nick name for the aircraft or for an air gunner, possibly the rear gunner.